Easter Island rain dance produces results.
Boone Pickens made headlines nationwide with his most recent donation to OSU of $100 million. While we shouldn’t grovel at his feet, we can all be thankful for the opportunity to improve the university.
The most important issue is how this will affect students. It is very possible that this money will benefit teachers more than students. Endowed chairs often go to inspirational, hardworking and deserving professors. These professors usually head departments.
The problem is that most of them do not spend a lot of time in the classroom. Professors who do not foster an encouraging educational environment often teach introductory level and fundamental classes instead of the really good professors.
In the meantime, tuition and fees are increasing. Will students pay more to attend a school with great teachers who are departmental leaders that no longer teach?
Simply giving the money to students to counter the cost of college benefits no one except those attending now.
Another problematic issue is how the State of Oklahoma is matching the funds. It’s great they are matching donations from the wealthy, but why not give higher education larger sums of money upfront? Encouraging donors is a great way to shoulder the cost burden on someone else. Many alumni donate because they truly love their schools; others donate in order to gain control and authority.
We can only hope that the administration handles T. Boone’s money better than others. Pickens donated $60 million in 2003 to the Geology Department. That funding was misused. Pickens donated $165 million to an Athletic Village. The construction has not started. We’ll believe the money has gone to good when we see it.
—The Daily Collegian
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